Gino The problem was caused at Lock 13. They have been rehabing the dam structure and with the high water that we have had, the water went between the dam and the ROW. They are still hauling stone today and I understand that other quarrys have been providing stone as well, that comes from an operator at Lock 14. This all started Thursday night. Had the scanner on and sounds like they are still down to one track at this time. Charlie

This is off subject but I believe there has been a washout on the CSX Mohawk division near Yost putting the Chicago line out of service. They have been hauling shot rock and riprap from Carver's quarry in Rockwood around the clock, starting Saturday afternoon. Traffic is moving on the other line by track foreman direction. The canal was drained in advance of the heavy rain that was forecast at Lock 14 and 15. Charlie
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Wilber <mailto:mwilber2001@...>
To: FJGRailroad@yahoogroups.com <mailto:FJGRailroad@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2013 11:08 AM
Subject: Re: [FJGRailroad] Re: FJ&G Dispatching

There was a repeater in the Jamesville area,one in the Cassville NY area,and one in the Chenango Forks area.We had hand held radios when I worked there between 1978 and 1983.There were times that if we were in Sangerfield working,we could here the conversations in Cortland.

During the DO days the Cooperstown Dispatcher controlled movement on the FJ&G. I do not recall it being a dial up system where you hear the phone ringing but that was a long time ago. On the S&NC you actually hear a phone call over the scanner.

My notes show the FJ&G to Cooperstown frequency as 162.000

I do know that in the late 80's the times I was at Lock 13 in Randall I could hear the NYSW loud and clear on my scanner. They had a strong radio system. Back in the late 80's I could clearly hear all NYSW radio conversations going on in Utica on my hand held scanner while I was in Syracuse. This was back when the NYSW only went as far north as Jamesville and the Utica line was the main route north and south.

Radio communication between the dispatcher and the locomotive was established in 1958. So far as I know there was no use of individual hand sets on the FJ&G. Hand or lamp signals were used to communicate among train crew members. I have no specific recollection of what the practice was during the DO. What you suggest re dialing in was, and is, standard operating practice on many roads. Railroads go dark when the signal system fails; when radios fail they go silent. Railroad rules are written for the eventuality that both communication and signals will fail. What happens today when the radio system fails, with so few employees in the field, may result in a cessation of movement, certainly a bit of delay. However if there are enough men in the field to fulfill the protocol established by the operating rules business could continue. That was not a problem on the FJ&G. Those men knew how to do their jobs with or without radio communication. Perhaps Mark, if he's still on here, can fill us in on DOs radio practice. PKL

This raises another interesting question about the use of radios on the railroad. When did it start, and how were they used? Did the diesels arrive with radios installed, thus beginning the "Radio Equipped" era on the FJ&G?

A newspaper account exists detailing a str ing of vandalism on the railroad at some point in the 50s or 60s. Damaged were several locations on the railroad right of way proper AND the railroad's radio repeter, which was listed as having been installed on Ayers Hill. I always thought this was odd, as normally kids vandalizing a railroad switch or boxcar would not then travel to a point not actually on the right of way to damage communications circuits. I never fully researched the incident to ascertain whether arrests were made. It's been ten years since I've read those articles.

To the topic at hand, did the railroad go "dark" after the repeater was damaged?

And when DO came onto the scene, my understanding is that the crews had to dial in Cooperstown via the locomotive radios. Where was the repeater or repeaters for this system and what was the range? (The Saratoga & North Creek roughly uses the same type of set up to dial Iowa-Pacific dispatchers in Chicago.)